Silicone lid for sealing any type of open-ended container

ABSTRACT

A silicone lid for sealing any type of open-ended container. The lid includes a top having a first center and a bottom having a second center. The second center being in the same center axis as the first center. The center axis being a certain thickness. The silicone lid is sealed to the container by placing the bottom of the lid on an open-ended side of an open-ended container and depressing the top forcing air out of the container and forming a vacuum seal.

THE FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This particular invention generally pertains to silicone lids forclosing various types of open-ended containers found in the kitchen.More specifically, it is directed to a lid that provides a novel andimproved sealing arrangement by producing a vacuum seal on various typesof open-ended containers made from a variety of materials.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is a rather widespread commercial and industrial practice to store avariety of goods or the like in recloseable containers. Typically, thesecontainers are comprised of a bowl-shaped container member having atleast an open end, and removably associated therewith a closure memberor lid. Normally, the closure member has relatively flexiblecharacteristics, and is appropriately formed so as to have interfittingsurfaces which usually cooperate with corresponding cooperating surfaceson the container to produce a snap-on type fit. The foregoing type ofinterfitting and cooperating relationship provides an ordinary seal.Such seal essentially serves the conventional purposes of preventingspoilage of the contents in the container and, in certain instances,undesired fluidic leakage into and from the container for well-knownpurposes.

There have been numerous forms of prior art constructions for providingthe noted interfitting and cooperating relationship between thecontainer and closure lid members of the above category. Often, many ofthese prior art constructions have interfitting and cooperating surfaceswhich are rather complicated in configuration and somewhat costly inproduction. Moreover, such category of prior art containers failed tofurnish effective seals, especially through repeated usage. In addition,such container members and closure members were generally difficult toquickly and easily disassemble and reassemble. It is, of course,apparent that if a perfect or effective seal was not attained, thecontainer would correspondingly be unsatisfactory for its intended useand thereby fail to perform its intended function.

Aside from the foregoing enumerated disadvantages, the typical prior artcontainer constructions need to have a container member that fits to aspecific lid. The prior art does not furnish any means for quickly,easily, and reliably sealing any type of container member with a singlelid for all types of containers.

Attempts have been made to generally improve upon the effectiveness ofthe typical prior art container seal relationships by providing acontainer having relatively simply constructed interfitting andcooperating surfaces which provide for the seal. By way of specificexample, an attempt to provide for such an improved resealable containeris generally described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,850,786. The type ofresealable container described in the above patent includes a plasticopen ended container having an outer rim which is slidably insertablewithin a corresponding groove formed in the removable closure member.While this type of container was generally considered an improvement,it, however, needs the user to purchase both the open-ended containerwith its proper lid. That is, the arrangement has an interfitting lidwith a cooperating bowl.

Other attempts to improve upon the foregoing type of seal arrangementhave resulted in the manufacture of containers which enable theformation of at least double mechanical type seals between the closurelid member and container member. Although these attempts, such asdescribed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,985,354 and 3,460,711, provide for aplurality of seals between the mating containers and closure members,they nevertheless are subject to several disadvantages. Among suchdisadvantages are the fact that the closure lid members are somewhatcomplicated in construction and manufacture. In addition, they are, ingeneral, not as easily removable or replaceable as could otherwise becommercially desired. Moreover, in using this latter category ofcontainer, a user would not, in an easy fashion, be able toautomatically and accurately ascertain whether or not the interfittingand cooperating surfaces of the lid and container had formed adequateand effective seals.

Other flexible containers have been proposed, such as describedgenerally in U.S. Pat. No. 3,743,131, which essentially provide for apop-top type of closure lid which produces an audible sound. Theforegoing described container, however, suffers from the disadvantage inthat only a single seal is provided which may not, under allcircumstances, be able to provide the type of sealing that might bedesired in certain situations.

In view of the foregoing comments directed to the various prior artconstructions of resealable containers, it will be appreciated that suchheretofore known prior art containers do not facilitate an easy andquick attachment and detachment of the lid to the closure member in asimple, economical, and reliable manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A silicone lid or closure member for sealing any type of open-endedcontainer. The lid includes a top having a first center and a bottomhaving a second center. The second center being in the same axis as thefirst center. This axis being a certain thickness.

To facilitate sealing the container, the silicone lid is placed on anopen-ended side of an open-ended container. A user then depresses thecenter of the lid forcing air out of the container and allowing a vacuumseal to form between the lid and the container. The vacuum seal is quitestrong and reliable for its intended purpose

Other features of the silicone lid include a peripheral edge that isthinner than the center axis and a rim lip which extends over an edge ofthe open-ended side of said container. The silicone lid furthercomprises a protrusion for removing the vacuum-sealed lid from thecontainer as well as having protrusions arranged around the top andbottom center axis.

The lid is formed from silicone, and is pliable and able to conform tothe shape of the open-ended container. The lid also has elasticcharacteristic which allow the edge of the open-ended container to beembedded or depressed in the silicone material. Once the lid is removedfrom the container, the lid will return to its normal state.

The silicone lid comes in a variety of sizes and can fit most standardkitchenware such as bowls, pans, pots and cups found in a kitchen. Thekitchenware, however, must possess a uniform edge so that a proper sealcan be attained.

Another advantage of the silicone lid is that the lid can be placed on aflat surface with the bottom of the container placed on its top. Thisaction keeps the container from slipping off the surface when mixingitems in the container because of a high-friction coefficient ofsilicone.

Some other features of the silicone lid is (1) keeping the contents ofcontainer fresh by holding in moisture and (2) keeping hot contents ofcontainer hot due to non-heat resistance characteristics of silicone.The lid is also microwave-safe and dishwasher-friendly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following description of preferred embodiment of the presentinvention will be better understood when read in conjunction with theappended drawings. It should be understood, however, that the inventionis not limited to the precise arrangements shown.

FIG. 1 is a front view of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a back view of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a right view of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a side view of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a side view of another embodiment of the present invention.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

In most kitchens, left-overs are always in the refrigerator. Most ofthese left-overs are stored in ordinary kitchen bowls with plastic wrapor aluminum foil. Other items are stored in containers that haveinterlocking tops.

Problems that occur with the interlocking containers is that theinterlocking containers are not easily stored because the tops and thelids do not easily stack. Another problem is that if a person buys morethan one brand of interlocking container, the lids are not one size fitsall and they do not interconnect to each other. Finding a particular lidthat fits a particular container can be tedious at times.

The problem with plastic wraps is that liquids such as soups and graviesalways leak out of the container and items cannot be stored one on topof another without squashing the item underneath.

That is why the present invention is a lid that fits any type ofcontainer that can be found in a kitchen. The present invention is alsostrong enough to hold items on top of the container without crushing thefood held in another container stored beneath it. The present inventionalso vacuum seals the food held in the container so the food does notspoil. Other advantages will become apparent as the invention isdiscussed below.

In FIG. 1, a front view of the present invention is shown. Here, thepresent invention is in the shape of a circle even though other shapes,such as, squares or rectangles may be used. The lid 10 of the presentinvention has a peripheral edge 11 with a protrusion 12. This protrusion12 allows a user to remove the lid 10 from a container (not shown).

The lid itself is made from a soft, durable silicone material. Thesilicone material easily molds to its surroundings but is rigid enoughto provide protection for the contents held within the bowl. The edgesof the lid are smooth to ensure that a proper seal is attained betweenthe container and the lid.

Viewing the lid 10 from the front, longitudinal protrusions 14 arearranged around a center 13 of the lid 10. These protrusions 14 are madefor two purposes. One is an aesthetic value adding to the visual effectsof the lid 10. The other reason is for functionality. The protrusions 14increase the surface area of the lid 10. This becomes an advantage whena user wants to store items, such as other bowls, on top of the lid 10.These protrusions 14 will keep objects resting on the lid 10 fromslipping off the lid 10. Another advantage is when the bowl is used as afriction device as will be discussed in FIG. 7.

FIG. 2 shows the back view of the present invention. The back view isvery similar to that of FIG. 1. As can be seen the back view shares thesame center point 22 and peripheral edge 21. This view also shows theback view of the protrusion 24 located on the peripheral edge 21.

The back side of the lid 20 also has longitudinal protrusions 23surrounding its center 22. These are used for the embodiment shown inFIG. 7 discussed below.

FIG. 3 shows the side view of the present invention. In this view thethickness of the lid 30 can be clearly seen. Here, the center thickness35 of the lid 30 can be defined by the distance between the front center31 and back center 32. The thickness 36 for the peripheral edge 33 isshown to be much thinner then the center thickness 35.

Also seen are the front longitudinal protrusions 34 which are raised bya predetermined thickness. The thicker these protrusions are the moresurface area will be added to the lid.

In FIG. 4 is another view of the present invention. Here, the protrusion41 can be clearly seen on peripheral edge 43 of the lid 40.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the first embodiment of the present invention.The first embodiment shows a lid 50 sealed to an open-ended container53. In this example, a bowl is used but other containers such as metalpots or ceramic cups may be used. Also keep in mind that even though inthe preferred embodiment we use kitchen containers, the lid can be usedfor any type of open container. That is, these lids can close any typeof open-ended container having a uniform edge and need not be limited toonly kitchen items.

The method for sealing the lid 50 to the container 53 is as follows.First the lid 50 is placed on the open-ended portion of the container53. Remember, the lid 50 itself is made from a soft silicone material.Just by placing the lid on the container the lid itself conforms to theuniform edge of the bowl and provides limited food protection.

To seal the lid 50, a user will place an index finger on the center 51of the lid 50 and press down. By pressing down on the lid 50, the airinside the container 53 is forced out of the bowl 53 because thedownward pressure causes the lid 50 to depress and makes the air volumeinside the bowl 53 decrease. While the air is being forced out the bowl53, the silicone lid edges 52 are pushed down upon the lid 50 forming arim lip 57 between the peripheral edge 52 and container edge 55. Thisrim lip varies in size depending on the circumference of the bowl.(Please note, for larger or smaller containers different size lids maybe utilized for convenience but is not necessary to attain the vacuumseal.)

Once a sufficient amount of air is forced from the bowl 53 the userremoves his/her finger and the lid 50 because of the air volume pressurewithin the bowl 53 allows the lid 50 to seal to the bowl 53. Now anycontents that were in the bowl are protected from spoiling. Theresultant seal is very strong and will only be broken when a userdecides to open the container.

Another feature of silicone is its heat resistance. Therefore, if thecontents of the bowl were hot, the heat would remain inside the bowl fora considerable amount of time.

Removal of the lid from the bowl is just as easy as sealing the lid. Alla user must do is pull the peripheral protrusion 56 up and towards thecenter 51 of the lid 50. This action allows air to be re-introduced intothe bowl 53, increasing the air volume and allowing the vacuum seal tobe broken.

FIG. 6 is another view of the embodiment discussed above. This viewshows the front view of the lid 60 while the lid 60 is a sealedposition. In the sealed position, the center 61 of the lid 60 isslightly depressed within the bowl 62 due to the air volume pressure inthe sealed bowl.

FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of the present invention. In thisembodiment, the lid 71 is used a friction device. This embodiment isbest used for when a user is mixing items in the bowl 70. Often when auser mixes items on a hard surface with a low friction coefficientmaking the surface slippery. The bowl often has to be held tightly bythe user otherwise the bowl will end up on the floor. But using the lidbetween the hard surface and the bowl instead of the surface directlycuts down on any messy accidents that might occur because the frictioncoefficient is increased.

For example, a user can place the lid 71 on a hard surface 72 and placethe bowl 70 on the lid 71. Since silicone has a high frictioncoefficient the bowl 70 will not slide off the lid 71 and the lid 71will stay firmly on the counter.

It is readily apparent that the above-described fitting device meets allof the objects mentioned above and has the advantage of wide commercialutility. It should be understood that the specific form of the inventionhereinabove described is intended to be representative only, as certainmodifications within the scope of these teaching will be apparent tothose skilled in the art.

Accordingly, reference should be made to the following claims indetermining the full scope of the invention.

1. A silicone lid for sealing any type of open-ended container having acircumference, said silicone lid comprising, a top having a firstcenter; a bottom having a second center; and a rim lip having a length,said length being dependent on the circumference of said open-endedcontainer.
 2. The silicone lid as claimed in claim 1 whereby saidsilicone lid is sealed to said container by placing the bottom of saidlid on an open-ended side of said open-ended container and depressingthe top of said lid thereby forcing air out of the container and forminga vacuum seal
 3. The silicone lid as claimed in claim 1 whereby saidfirst center and said second center have a center axis which is thesame.
 4. The silicone lid as claimed in claim 3 whereby said center axisis a certain thickness.
 5. The silicone lid as claimed in claim 4whereby said rim lip is thinner than said center axis.
 6. The siliconelid as claimed in claim 1 whereby said silicone lid is substantiallycircular.
 7. The silicone lid as claimed in claim 5 whereby said rim lipextends over an edge of said open-ended side of said container.
 8. Thesilicone lid as claimed in claim 7 whereby said rim lip has a protrusionfor removing said lid from said container.
 9. The silicone lid asclaimed in claim 1 whereby said lid is formed from silicone, and ispliable and able to conform to the shape of said open-ended container.10. The silicone lid as claimed in claim 1 whereby said top hasprotrusions arranged around the first center.
 11. The silicone lid asclaimed in claim 1 whereby said bottom has protrusions arranged aroundthe second center.
 12. The silicone lid as claimed in claim 1 wherebysaid open-ended container is a bowl, pan, pot or cup.
 13. The siliconelid as claimed in claim 1 whereby said lid comes in a variety of sizes.14. The silicone lid as claimed in claim 1 whereby said container ismade from plastic, glass, metal, wood, styrofoam or clay.
 15. Thesilicone lid as claimed in claim 1 whereby said lid has elasticcharacteristics which allow the edge of the open-ended container to bedepressed in the silicone material.
 16. The silicone lid as claimed inclaim 1 whereby said lid can be placed on a flat surface with a bottomof the container placed on its top, this action keeps the container fromslipping off the flat surface
 17. The silicone lid as claimed in claim 1whereby said silicone lid has a high-friction coefficient.
 18. Thesilicone lid as claimed in claim 1 whereby said lid keeps contents ofsaid container fresh by holding in moisture.
 19. The silicone lid asclaimed in claim 1 whereby said lid keeps hot contents of said containerhot.
 20. The silicone lid as claimed in claim 1 whereby said siliconelid has a heat resistant characteristic.
 21. The silicone lid as claimedin claim 1 whereby said lid is microwave-safe and dishwasher-friendly.